The Confabulist

A Novel

"From the author of The Cellist of Sarajevo, an exciting new novel that uses the life and sudden death of Harry Houdini to weave a tale of magic, intrigue, and illusion"-- Provided by publisher." From the author of The Cellist of Sarajevo, an exciting new novel that uses the life and sudden death of Harry Houdini to weave a tale of magic, intrigue, and illusion. What is real and what is an illusion? Can you trust your memory to provide anaccurate record of what has happened in your life? The Confabulist is a clever , entertaining, and suspenseful narrative that weaves together the rise and fall of world-famous Harry Houdini with the surprising story of Martin Strauss, an unknown man whose fate seems forever tied to the magician's in a way that will ultimately startle and amaze. It is at once a vivid portrait of an alluring, late-nineteenth/early-twentieth-century world; a front-row seat to a world-class magic show; and an unexpected love story. In the end, the book is a kind of magic trick in itself: there is much more to Martin than meets the eye. Historically rich and ingeniously told, this is a novel about magic and memory, truth and illusion, and the ways that love, hope, grief, and imagination can-for better or for worse-alter what we perceive and believe"-- Provided by publisher.

When I picked this book up it was because I liked Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo and wanted to read another of his books. I didn't know it was partly about Houdini or I may not have chosen it. I've never liked magic tricks and illusions make me crabby. I had just watched the Houdini TV series starring Adrien Brody and confirmed my feelings once again. Having said that, I did plough through this book with very little enjoyment. There were no likeable characters in the book for me, and the ending was annoying and confusing. I was left trying to do the math and I don't like math as much as I don't like magic tricks.

A patron review from the Adult Summer Game: "A mesmerizing story shared between two people -- Harry Houdini and Martin Strauss, spanning the times between 1897 to present day. Martin has a disease that make him 'confabulate' facts. The result is greatly entertaining."

A very amusing read on an unusual topic. I never thought I may be interested in Huidini but it is so much more, history interwoven. I did look up a lot of facts while reading. And the end makes you wonder…

Steven Galloway never fails to surprise, and his strong plotlines and superb writing ensure you will gobble up this book. "The Confabulist" entertains and makes you consider what is real and what we think is real. Great read.

Summary

Martin Strauss has a condition that not only leaves gaps in his memory, but fills those gaps with false memories. This allows Galloway to play with facts about historical figures Harry Houdini, Arthur Conan Doyle and the Romanov family. Like a magic trick, you are never really sure whether the described events are reality or illusion and so the reader is drawn in to the story of how Martin Strauss killed Harry Houdini twice...or did he?